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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Jill A. Miller
Email: Llama@your-net.com
Age: 41
Occupation: RDH and business owner
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: 11-22-98
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 70
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 70
GoodForFamilies: 96
LoungeService: 89
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 30
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 89
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 87
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities: 99
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 50
DeckSpace: 88
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 79
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 Oct 1998
Time: 09:27:04
Remote Name: 208.23.218.91
Remote User:
Comments
We went on a Thanksgiving cruise, something we do every year. We chose the Sun Princess
because we it was a newer ship. The ship is beauiful.
Our land/air package was terrific. We walked right on board the ship as fast as we could.
I had all the paper work filled out and it saved us 15
minutes fill-out time. We traveled with two other couple and their teenagers. We were 3
families with 8 teens. I think we all had a super time. For
kids Princess has a lot to do. The life jacket drill was in the (as it turns out) kids
disco lounge. Even the older teens enjoyed the teen activities. It
was fun hearing how many people are repeat Princess cruisers. My only complaint about the
entire trip was there wasn't much for our age (40's)
to do. The trip was geared toward much older adults (70 and up) and the kids. The workout
programs spaced thru out the day were well done and
fun. we enjoyed walking the deck that circles the ship (promonade). WE did it daily even
seeing flying fish off the coast of Cuba heading into
Cozumel. The ship crew answered all our questions even though they were always painting
and cleaning the deck. We enjoyed visiting Grand
Caymans and strongly!! suggest everyone swim with the sea rays. That was the highlight of
my husbands trip, I never thought he would get out of
the water. If you are the slightest bit suseptible to sea sickness take something for it
BEFORE this trip. Our 14 year old and another adult threw up
almost the entire time. It isn't that it is rough, just the boat rocks repeatedly. We also
visited Hell which is just a grocery store with black rock
formations in the backyard, which you can see anywhere along the coast. The visit to the
turtle farm is not to be missed either. It was after the trip
to Hell. Our visit to Jamaica was an eye-opener for our teens. They saw a man eat a light
bulb for $1.00. Very poor area we stopped in. We did
walk the Dunn River Falls. That was a great time. Our teen boys were approached to buy
bags of dope quite often on the streets. I strongly!!!
suggest if you do walk from the pier to the town (a very short walk) that you do it in a
group! I can not suggest this more strongly. We were 14
strong so we were safe, but we still had the dope tries even with the adults, and some
really irritated cab drivers who wanted us (actually
demanded) that we ride the 1/4 mile back to the pier in his taxi. But we are all seasoned
travelers so we said "I said NO!" We love Cozumel and
had been there already once this year (and we were there again in Jan. 1998). We rent a
jeep, but this time we rented a van and drove the entire
island stopping, eating salsa and drinking Coronas and Margaritas. Our favorite stop is
Mikes out on the corner edge of the island. Nice beach
there and some friendly, hungry dogs and cats, too. He makes pretty great hamburgers, too.
Watch the prices on this island, it used to be a deal,
but now you have to dicker over the asking price. The Princess private island is not so
great. Expensive and not much to do unless you want to
take scuba lessons, and for that you need to sign up EARLY! ASAP or you won't get in. I
would recommend doing it. Most of our group did it, but
we didn't because we waited too long. The food is outstanding on this line. The best to be
had anywhere. Order what your server recommends,
even if it isn't your first choice, he is usually right. There was no music for our age
group in the evening and the shows except for the undersea
show were terrible. Very much for the older crowd. We asked what the average age for the
Princess was and were told 70 to 80. So that explains
alot. We played some Bingo and I think if I went again I would buy a racehorse for the
races right away.
Name: Kimberly Woods
Email: kwoods7@hotmail.com
Age: 28
Occupation: software engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: 10/03/98
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 89
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 86
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 92
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 82
WheelchairAccess: 75
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 94
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 89
SpaceRatio: 89
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Oct 1998
Time: 12:53:33
Remote Name: 192.127.94.7
Remote User:
Comments
I recently returned from the 10-day Panama Canal Cruise, beginning 10/03/98. Our itinerary
was
as follows:
Acapulco Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica Panama Canal Cartagena, Columbia (stop cancelled due
to
unforeseen circumstances) Aruba St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. San Juan, Puerto Rico
The Sun Princess does not disappoint. The ship is gorgeous, and kept immaculately clean. I
had
an ocean view cabin on deck 8 (Dolphin-219), toward the front of the ship, and the only
complaints I can make are that:
1) The hallways on the middle decks (6-10) are a challenging maze that take a few days to
figure
out.
2) There was more movement toward the front of the ship, so I highly recommend requesting
a
cabin in the middle.
Our cabin steward, Federico, was excellent. Friendly, courteous, and efficient, 'Freddie'
kept our
cabin spotless without our ever figuring out when or how he did it.
The closet space was adequate for two women who packed an excessive amount of clothes,
shoes, toiletries, and other accessories. We were able to stow our suitcases under the
beds to
make more room, and stack our shoes and toiletries on the shelves in the closet/bathroom,
respectively.
The cabin was small in size, but large enough to suit our needs, since we were hardly ever
in it.
The bathroom is practically non-existent, but still large enough to take care of all your
basic
needs.
An outside cabin is always a treat, because it enables you to view some particularly
gorgeous sun
rises/sets, preview the day's weather, and watch as the ship pulls into the ports of call.
We had first seating in the Marquis Dining Room (table 55), and our head waiter, waiter,
and bus
boy (Eduardo, Robert, and Joey) were just as courteous, friendly, and efficient as
Federico.
Following Robert's recommendations for dinner proved to be a wise decision; he never
steered us
wrong.
I enjoyed some of the most decadent meals I've ever experienced in the Marquis Dining
Room.
The beef, chicken, and fish were always cooked to perfection, and the desserts melted in
my
mouth.
I enjoyed eating in the dining room so much, toward the end of my cruise, I abandoned my
practice of eating breakfast on the Lido Deck. The food there was fair at best, and, at
times,
downright terrible (e.g., overripe fruit, dried-out entrees, greasy potatoes, crunchy
croissants).
I'd have breakfast/high tea in the Renaissance Dining Room, lunch in the pizza restaurant,
grill, or
Renaissance Dining Room, and dinner in the Marquis Dining Room. I ordered room service
twice,
and had excellent experiences there as well.
The pizza was excellent, but the service was terrible. The waiters only appeared to take
and
deliver our order. We never saw them again. The food on deck at the grill was good, with
better
service.
Entertainment(e.g., dancers/singers) was mediocre, however, I give everyone an 'A' for
effort. I
particularly enjoyed the ship's comedian, and the pianist, 'Barty' in one of the lounges.
Movies
shown in the Princess Theater were, surprisingly, very recent releases.
Cruise activities followed the same dull, predictable pattern daily (a testament to the
cruise
director, not the staff). I didn't even have to read the newsletter to know the day's
planned
activities.
I created my own itinerary, which included playing cards in the Trumps Card Room, sinking
into
one of the buttery soft leather lounge chairs in the Reading Room, or enjoying the
Caribbean-style music while basking in the sun by the pool on deck.
Early morning/late night walks on the Promenade deck were also relaxing, and the final
night of
the cruise I stayed up all night, stretched out in one of the lounge chairs, and silently
appreciated the soft sparkle of the stars, the soothing sway of the ship, the gentle ocean
breeze
caressing my hair and cheeks.... but, I digress!!!
The Cruisercise program is wonderful for those who like to exercise in groups, and the
fitness
room is great for those who like to exercise alone.
Due to the high volumes of food available, I suggest that some form of exercise is
essential, even
if it's something as simple as flipping the remote or laughing out loud.
=====================================================================
Acapulco - There weren't any ship-sponsored tours for Acapulco, but the ship's port is
close
enough to shops that you can spend a few hours selecting souvenirs before departure. There
isn't much time to do anything else, since most time is spent embarking (very fast),
exploring the
ship (very slow), and enjoying dinner (savor the moment!!).
Costa Rica - We took the ship-sponsored tour to San Jose, the capital city, with a stop
for lunch
along the way. Unless you prefer nature hikes through the rain forest, this is the best of
the
tours available.
It's difficult to explore Costa Rica on your own, so I recommend taking a tour of some
sort.
Panama Canal - Definitely a treat, but it pays to get a seat on deck at a reasonably early
time.
The passage through the canal can only be viewed from the front, upper decks of the ship,
and,
naturally, everyone was excited, present, and accounted for. Panama City's skyline reminds
me of
a cross between Chicago and Manhattan.
Many passengers expressed an interest in stopping in Panama City, rather than Costa Rica.
Panama is the only place in the world where the sun rises in the west, and viewing this
anomaly
is quite an experience.
Cartegena, Columbia - Unfortunately, we were unable to stop here, so I can't comment. I
have
been told it is a beautiful city.
Aruba - Took one of the local tours, rather than the ship's tour. The tour was $15. The
tour
guide was jovial, humorous, and extremely knowledgeable, we saw all the major sights of
the
ship-sponsored tours, and arrived back at the ship in plenty of time. We also got in 2
hours of
shopping before taking the tour.
Our dinner companions took the scuba diving tour for non-certified divers and enjoyed the
experience immensely, although it's not for non-swimmers or people who aren't in good
physical
condition.
St. Thomas - Great shopping for the jewelry lovers!!! Many passengers caught a bus to the
main
shopping area, which can be overwhelming for some. For those who don't like crowds, noise,
or
haggling, all of the ship-recommended, major shops have stores in the clean, quiet
shopping plaza
next to the dock.
A number of ship-sponsored tours are also available, all of which I heard positive remarks
about.
San Juan - Unfortunately, the ravages of Hurricane Georges were still imprinted on the
landscape
of Puerto Rico at the time of our cruise. However, Puerto Rico is a lot of fun, and there
a lot of
beautiful things to see.
I recommend taking a late afternoon flight, and taking one of the ship-sponsored tours.
===========================================================
Embarking was excellent; disembarkment was terrible, as were the passages through customs
on
and off the ship.
Overall, I would rate this as an excellent experience, which I hope to repeat very soon.
Name: Susan Wade
Email: swade@peco-energy.com
Age: 43
Occupation: accountant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: 11-24-98
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 98
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 97
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Dec 1998
Time: 09:20:41
Remote Name: 159.214.2.11
Remote User:
Comments
Let us start off by saying that the cruise was a fantastic experience from beginning to
end. We enjoyed every aspect of the trip,
and would highly recommend it.
We started off in San Juan. When we arrived around 6:00 p.m., we were ushered to a waiting
area before boarding a bus to the
marine terminal. It was drizzling at the time, and the view of the city in twilight was
quite nice. We were surprised at how modern
a city San Juan is. Because of the hour, we didn’t get to take advantage of anything
they had to offer.
Embarkation was very smooth. We were on the ship within 15 minutes of arriving at the
terminal. Our first view was of the atrium,
which is as beautiful as the brochure pictures display, and a string quartet was playing.
They played at several events during the
cruise and their music was simply beautiful. After finding our cabin (an attendant steered
us in the wrong direction!) we had a
pizza and calzone in Verdi’s, the pizza parlor. It was quite good—but had one
disadvantage from our earlier experience on the
Star Princess. On the Sun, the pizza is not self-service or pre-made, so although the
product is fresh, there is about a 20 minute
wait before it is ready. The waitress in the pizza parlor was very pleasant, as were all
of the staff we encountered.
Ours was an inside cabin on the Dolphin deck (deck 8). The cabin was of adequate size,
enough for two, but would be tight
quarters for three or more. We ended up pushing the bed against the wall rather than
having floor access on both sides, which
gave us room to maneuver. Our cabin steward seemed a bit dismayed when he saw what we had
done, so we made a practice of
pulling the bed away from the wall each morning to make his job just a bit easier. He was
a good fellow, doing whatever he could
to give us what we requested. A few days into the cruise, we learned that little
newspapers with excerpts from various American
newspapers were not available as they had been on a previous cruise. They were, however,
printed from British newspapers. Our
steward started to deliver the British news digest to our cabin—a very helpful
gesture. The bathroom was spacious enough, and
was always kept well stocked.
We had second sitting for dinner, and a full meal was served that evening. I had expected
to find only a welcome-aboard buffet,
so the full service was a pleasant surprise. At this time we met our waiter and his
assistant, Petre and Lorenzo, both from
Romania. They provided excellent, attentive service throughout the cruise. We really
enjoyed them, and developed almost a
loyalty to them, as I will explain later.
The ship left port at about 11:00 p.m. It had been a tiring day, so we were glad to get
underway.
The first full day found us in St. Thomas, where we went to the introductory scuba tour at
Coki Beach. The fellows who run this
operation were simply excellent…check out their website on the Internet. It was a
great experience…after a brief class and
shallow water practice, we dove to a depth of 27 feet for about a half-hour. The fish were
very eager to get the food we had been
given, so we were swarmed at times by several different varieties of fish. Our instructor,
Dave, took our underwater cameras and
snapped several pictures of the two couples in his charge. The other couple had a higher
quality camera than we did, and their
pictures came out much better. If you want good pictures, try to find a better camera than
the disposable Kodak $15 variety. The
pictures provide proof that we did it, but don’t show any of the vivid colors of the
fish. The ride to and from Coki Beach in an open
air taxi was interesting. We went up hilly, narrow streets with hairpin turns. It was
beautiful and quite breathtaking.
At St. Thomas, the Sun Princess was anchored off shore, so we rode back and forth from the
ship on tenders, which were the
lifeboats doing double duty. They were always available when we were ready for them.
Several other cruise ships were in port that
day, including the Grand Princess and the Norway.
The next day (Thursday, which was also Thanksgiving) found us in Martinique. We
hadn’t read too many good things about this
stop, so we didn’t schedule anything special. We walked around the town for a short
while, and then spent the rest of the time on
the ship. At this stop, our video camera trouble-indicator said that the camera was damp.
We learned later that if this happens,
to run the hair dryer over it for about 30 seconds and it will clear up. Otherwise, our
manual said to leave it open for about a half
hour. I didn’t hear too many glowing comments from others about this stop. Some
people said that the islanders were rude, but
we didn’t find that to be the case. We just didn’t find it to be that exciting.
In the dining room that evening, they served the
traditional Thanksgiving fare, as well as a variety of other choices. All in all, it
didn’t feel a lot like a holiday, but it was still an
excellent day.
Friday found us in Grenada. We didn’t schedule any tours in this stop because we
thought the prices were out of line. Instead,
we took the tender to the port, and boarded a water taxi to Grand Anse Beach. The water
taxi was a great experience; the driver
started to pull away from the dock and promptly donned a WW2-vintage German type helmet.
We knew the experience would be
fun. The driver had a lot of personality, and said that he’d be back to pick up the
passengers at whatever time each one wanted
to return. (No problem, mon!) When we landed on the beach, we were immediately surrounded
by assertive vendors, hawking
everything from beach chair rentals to hats made from banana leaves. We went swimming in
the beautiful clear water, and I had
my hair braided. The vendors were pesky but not unbearable. It was a great time. The water
taxi dropped passengers at their
choice of places – either back where the ship’s tenders were waiting, or closer
to the shopping/market area. We chose the latter
and purchased some spices native to Grenada for family and friends. They were good deals.
We had been admonished on board
the ship to shop for spices only in authorized places, because spices purchased on the
street may be of questionable freshness.
After our brief shopping, we boarded the tender back to the ship. We left Grenada in the
mid-afternoon. We enjoyed our brief time
there, as did people who took the organized tours.
The next day, Saturday, we were in LaGuerra, which is the port city nearest to Caracas,
Venezuela. We found this to be the
least inviting of all of the stops. If a tour were joined, the trip took the entire day,
and the reviews on them were mixed. We walked
briefly through part of the city. It had not been developed at all for any kind of
tourism, and generally felt a bit unsafe. We were
quite content to spend the majority of this day enjoying the ship.
If it’s Sunday, it must be Curacao, which is part of the A-B-C islands. This was a
beautiful port, and we thoroughly enjoyed our
time there. We took a tour to snorkel in the most picturesque location. The fish and coral
we saw have to be among the best in
the Caribbean. The boat ride to the site was enjoyable, and we saw several instances of
flying fish skimming above the surface of
the water. The colors of the fish and variety of the coral are really worth seeing. It was
worth every penny of the fee to do this.
After returning from snorkeling and having lunch on ship, we walked around the town.
Everything was very clean and festive. This
town has a floating pontoon bridge for passenger traffic. When the bridge is open to allow
ships into the harbor, there is a ferry
available for passage at no charge. We were told that when the bridge was built, passage
across it was free if you didn’t wear
shoes. If you wore shoes, the fare was two cents. We enjoyed this port very much. It was
the only port where the locals came to
bid the ship farewell, with dancing in native costumes, bands playing, and people waving
to the passengers.
We bid the ports of call good-bye at this point, and spent the next few days aboard ship.
This was at least as enjoyable and in
many ways more enjoyable than the hubbub of visiting the ports. We enjoyed every meal in
the dining room. We had decided
that we could serve ourselves at home, and that on vacation our desire was to be waited
on. Each meal was delightful, not only
because of the good food and attentive service, but it gave us an opportunity to meet and
visit with so many folks. The most
asked question after ordering was ‘where are you from’ followed by ‘how
many cruises is this for you’ and ‘what’s your name’. We
were never disappointed by our tablemates. The conversation was always diverse and free
flowing. For dinner we had been
assigned to a table for four, but apparently the other two had never shown up, because
after a couple of days, the waiters no
longer even set the additional places. At first we were disappointed because we looked
forward to meeting new people. We
considered asking to be moved to another table, but we enjoyed our waiter and assistant so
much, that we were reluctant to do
so. We also considered moving to the first sitting, with the idea of staying with the same
waiters, but nixed this idea. We came
to realize that after a full day of visiting with new people, it was an enjoyable respite
to not have to communicate other than with
each other. In the future, we may even ask to be seated at a table for two. Unlike past
cruises, the Sun Princess had many such
tables for two.
The shows were all of high quality. Each evening we attended one in either the Vista
Lounge, which seated about three hundred
people, or the Princess Theatre, which was larger, and more of a movie theatre setup. The
in-house entertainment was very
enjoyable, with a new show each evening, all high energy with lots of dance routines,
singing, and costume changes. Personally,
we thought the in-house entertainment was better overall than the imported acts. There was
a comedian, an impressionist, a
singing act and a ventriloquist. In each one, the entertainment value of their acts ebbed
and flowed throughout the ž - 1 hour
performance. Overall though, they were certainly worth seeing. Movies were shown at
various times during the day in either of the
two locations. We are not gamblers, but the casinos seemed very busy, and Bingo was a
popular attraction.
We had been told that cruises of longer duration generally attracted an older crowd, and
this trip fit that rule. However, as time
went on we found more travelers in our age bracket. The easiest place to find them, we
thought, was at the sporting activities.
We met couples our age during the scuba, snorkeling, and beach activities off-ship, as
well as the Cruisercize and swimming
activities on-ship.
One of our favorite activities was participating in the more physical events, like the
sporting tournaments. We participated in
basketball, ping pong, water volleyball, and the Cruisercize activities. The fitness
center had a prominent position on the 12th
deck at the rear of the ship. While working out, you could gaze over the water, and it was
a beautiful view. There was a full range
of activities in Cruisercize, from stretching classes, ab classes, aerobics and toning
classes, mile walks, gym activities, water
games, etc. We combined our coupons and really cashed in on the booty. We’ll not have
to buy new tee shirts until our next
cruise! Both directors of the fitness activities were very personable, and we enjoyed our
interaction with them.
On Tuesday, one week into the cruise, we transited the Canal. As we had been told would
happen, everyone crowded into the
bow (front) of the ship. We learned that it was actually much more interesting to position
oneself along the side or at the rear of
the ship, so that you could get a better feel for just how snuggly the ship fit into the
lock and how much it was being raised and
lowered. Fortunately, this was an overcast day with some very light liquid sunshine,
otherwise the press of bodies would have
been oppressive. The ship had about 1-1/2 to 2 feet of clearance on either side of the
lock. Later, upon arriving in Acapulco, we
noticed fresh scrape marks on the side of the ship which had not been there when we left
Curacao. The Canal is of course quite
the engineering marvel. It is interesting to see the ships waiting on either side to enter
the passageway. Cruise ships have priority
in entering the locks. As the ship leaves the last lock (there are three up at the first
site, followed by one down and then two
down at two other locations), it travels under the Bridge Over the Americas, which is the
only land passageway between the two
continents. The Canal crossing was certainly something to witness, but because we enjoyed
other aspects of the cruise so well,
we wouldn’t call it THE highlight, but one of several. Many other passengers, though,
considered this to be THE highlight.
We then spent two and a half days at sea. They were thoroughly enjoyable, as we engaged in
sporting activities, much eating,
visiting with new friends, attending the shows, relaxing in the hot tubs, etc.
We enjoyed every meal. There was always an abundant variety of choices, and if deciding
between a couple of choices was
problematic, just get both! Only one waiter in our experience would make snide comments
about double-ordering. Some people
found those comments to be amusing. Perhaps because they were directed at us, we were less
amused, but it didn’t stop us
from double-ordering. Our dinner waiters would just smile when we did that, and would even
encourage us to do so if we couldn’t
decide between two choices. In addition to the interesting choices that changed daily,
there was a standard menu of steak,
chicken and fish from which to choose if the regular menu didn’t appeal. The only
item we ordered from the standard menu was
Caesar salad, which came without anchovies. We found the rolls and pastries to be very
good and fresh. Our only
disappointment in that department was that breakfast toast was always cold by the time it
arrived at the table. A minor thing, to
be sure.
Probably because of the length of the cruise, we attended three receptions—the
welcome aboard reception the second evening
(Wednesday) the captain’s circle reception on Monday (split into two groups because
of the significant amount of repeat
business Princess experienced) and a farewell reception on the last Thursday of the
cruise. These evenings corresponded to the
formal nights. The string quartet played at the welcome and farewell receptions. The top
cruiser on the trip had logged an
incredible 340+ days asea on Princess. We were envious.
We arrived in Acapulco on Friday afternoon. We walked from the port to the market area,
where the vendors were quite
entertaining and very persistent. Departing one kiosk, the vendors would say something
like now see my stuff, which was exactly
the same as what you had just left. One vendor tried to entice us by saying that
everything was 99% off. In the evening, we took
a taxi to see the cliff divers. We saw them by night, as the only scheduled daytime show
occurred at 1:00 p.m., before the ship
arrived. However, for those who booked tours, there was a special show. We talked with
some folks who, knowing about the
special show, rented a taxi to take in the show along with the tour groups. Our taxi
driver was quite entertaining, and although in
retrospect, we may have overpaid a bit, we didn’t feel at all cheated. People who
took the organized tours in Acapulco seemed to
really enjoy them, but we were content to venture out on our own.
Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, and this trip was no exception. All
day on Friday, people would ask if we
were packed up for the departure, to which we would reply that since we were currently in
a state of denial, such action was
unthinkable. Apparently for some people, packing is a big chore. It took us about ten
minutes to complete this task, when we
finally came to terms with the fact that, alas, the fat lady was singing. On Saturday
morning, departure day, we enjoyed a full
breakfast and full lunch before being shuttled to the airport. The disembarkation was much
smoother than had been our
experience on shorter cruises. All checked luggage was dealt with at the dock, and not
retrieved again until going through
customs which for us was in Chicago. One big negative to this was that, somehow, people
who had just had the vacation of a
lifetime suddenly turned extremely ugly and nasty while waiting for the plane at the
Acapulco airport. In fact, on the airplane, one
passenger crudely cursed out a flight attendant who was trying to reposition passengers.
It was a sad commentary. At this point,
we’d decided that we’d had enough of our fellow passengers, and that it was
indeed time to reenter the real world.
There was something for everyone on the trip. Our own interests were in the more physical
activities; however, for those
interested in gambling, there was the casino and Bingo; for some of our new friends, the
art auctions were their chief recreation;
for others it was lounging about poolside.
Overall, we give this trip an A-double-plus. Our expectations were quite high when we
started, and they continually were
exceeded throughout the trip. We highly recommend it, enjoyed the Sun Princess thoroughly,
and look forward to our next
cruise. So many places…so little time!!
Name: Jamie and Karen Scharff
Email: jksteach@aol.com
Age: 38, 35
Occupation: teacher
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Princess-Sun
SailingDate: 12/98
Itinerary: western caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Dec 1998
Time: 23:13:01
Remote Name: 152.163.194.178
Remote User:
Comments
We returned from the Sea Princess' inaugural cruise this week, so we thought we'd share
some impressions for those of you
interested. We are in our thirties (I'm late-, my wife mid-) and have cruised previously
on Princess, HAL, RCI,Celebrity, and Costa
(yes, we have become addicted!).The Ship - Because we sailed last year on the Sun
Princess, we felt at home right away on
Sea Princess. Not only are the two ships sisters, they are practically identical twins.
Both ships are beautiful and spacious
without being overwhelming in size. Most of the ship is divided into smaller spaces so one
is not aware of its huge size most of
the time. The Wheelhouse Bar, with its nautical theme, and the atrium lobby in golds and
pastels were particularly attractive.A
Typical Day - Because we cruise more for the ship than for the ports, wešve developed a
routine for enjoying the ship. Generally,
we wake up early. Our cabin was an outside on Dolphin (Deck 8 - an upgrade from an inside
guarantee). We had an inside cabin
on the Sun and the two rooms were the same, except for the window. It was small, but
comfortable. Only the bathroom was a bit
too small. The cabin steward was fine. He always seemed to be around when needed and could
be paged. When we get up, we
like to get a bite to eat before going to the gym to work out. One of the things we
particularly like about the new Princess ships
is that the Horizon Court is open all the time. Last year on RCIšs Grandeur, we found it
difficult to work out and then have
breakfast because the Lido was already closed. It is nice to not have to worry about when
the cruise line has decided when
mealtimes are. My wife likes to do aerobics while I work out with weights and the cardio
machines. The aerobics classes were
good - easy choreography and basic steps, but even someone fit could get a good workout.
There were also a variety of classes
offered - basic and advanced step, hi/low with theme music, stretch, etc. The weight
machines were adequate, but there was a
good selection of Lifefitness cardio equipment - treadmills, steppers, upright and
recumbent bikes and elliptical cross trainers.
There were also headphones for music next to each station, but the music was the same as
the music being piped in overhead.
The gym only seemed crowded for short periods on the first day and on the sea days, but it
was open 24 hours and wasnšt
usually crowded when we were there. There was a sign-up for treadmills. After working
outand cleaning up we went to the
Horizon Court for a łreal˛ breakfast. The selection was good and generally the same each
day. Eggs, meats, pancakes, rolls,
croissants (the chocolate croissants were excellent), fruit -fresh, canned and dried,
cereals, yogurt and cheeses. The breakfast
buffet was generally the same variety and quality as what wešve experienced on other
lines.Next on the agenda was sunning and
reading on the deck. Deck space is excellent and even on sea days when people łstake
out˛ chairs for hours without using them,
we were able to find space. Our favorite days were port days when we had our choice of
quiet spots by the pool. On sea days,
we liked sitting by the aft pool (suspended? between 2 decks) or forward at the top of the
ship by the splash pool - an area that
many people never found.We would usually stay by the pool until the first Trivia game of
the day. One of the things we like about
Princess is the daily trivia games. We enjoy the competition and always meet friendly
people. Other lines havenšt had regular
trivia and Princess has games at least twice a day.Lunch at the Horizon Court seemed even
better than our last cruise on the
Sun. The food was excellent as was the variety. Particular standouts: seafood salad,
shrimp cocktail (wešve never seen this on a
buffet before!), caprese salad, a selection of pastas every day, soup, delicious rolls,
and fried scallops. There was a carving
station and a number of hot entrees as well as a salad bar with fresh vegetables each day.
One suggestion - the salad dressings
at dinner were delicious, but the dressings at lunch seemed to be the bottled variety. It
would be nice to have some of the
homemade dressings available in the Horizon Court.After lunch, back to the pool until the
afternoon trivia or until the sun got to
be too much. One day we saw an afternoon movie in the Vista Lounge. On a couple of other
days we went back to the gym for
an afternoon workout. The gym was usually pretty quiet in the early afternoon. Later, we
could get a late afternoon snack (we had
late seating -8:45) in the Horizon Court. There was pizza, fruits, a variety of desserts
and sandwiches made to order on rolls or
focaccia.Around sunset, we would head to the Lido deck aft pool area (above the gym) to
get in the hot tub. There were 3 hot
tubs in this area, so it was always possible to find a spot. There were also 2 hot tubs in
the main pool area, but we never tried
those. Dinner - We were assigned a table for 8 but 2 people never showed. The rest of us
had a great time, however. Our waiter,
Giorgio, was great, but a bit slow. We were always one of the last tables to leave the
dining room. We enjoyed our tablemates,
so this wasnšt a problem. The food was better than on many of the other cruise lines, but
there were a couple of dishes that
werenšt great. Since there are so many choices and you could always get more, this was
never a problem. In fact, whenver my
wife wouldnšt finish a dish (usually she was just saving room for more) Giorgio would ask
if she didnšt like it and could he bring
something else for her to try. The pastas and the seafood in particular were excellent.
Several items were available every day -
salmon, chicken and steak, ceasar salad, cheesecake, chocolate mousse and ice cream
sundaes. The food compared favorably
to the other cruises wešve been on - only Celebrity had slightly better food. The shows
after dinner were pretty typical cruise fare.
There were 2 production type shows which were well done, but not our favorite form of
entertainment. The solo entertainers were
good, talented and interesting, but not great. The comedian/juggler, Pete Matthews, was
quite good and the ventriloquist was
different and amusing.The casino was fine and seemed to be popular. We were tired by the
end of the day, so we didnšt go to
many of the bars or hear many of the bands. I do hope they change the Sail Away pool side
band, because they were not very
good - amateurish and had a small repertoire.Overall, this was one of the nicest cruises
wešve been on and wešve loved them all.
Princess would certainly be one of our top choices for our future cruises.
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